


The Fragrant Monk

by addledwalrus



Series: Folkloric Tales [3]
Category: Korean Mythology - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Affairs, Aging, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Androgyny, Aristocracy, Beautiful, Buddhism, Character Development, Class Differences, Coitus Interruptus, Confucianism, Crossdressing, Discipline, Disguise, F/M, Gen, Growing Old, Hiding, Historical Inaccuracy, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, Isolation, Kings & Queens, Korean Characters, Korean Religion & Lore, Love at First Sight, Monks, Old Age, Parody, Perversion, Princes & Princesses, Religion, Rescue Missions, Reunions, Royalty, Sexual Content, Shamanism, Some Humor, Star-crossed, Suicidal Thoughts, Supernatural Elements, Temple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 02:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14802389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: What happens when the most beautiful man in the world is born in Ancient Korea?





	The Fragrant Monk

**Silla, Three Kingdoms Period**

The day that Sun-Woo was born into an aristocratic family, his parents knew that he was special. No infant had as sweet a voice as him, nor eyes as clear and wide.

A widely revered shaman was appointed shortly after Sun-Woo's birth to prophesize his future and to their consternation, she likened his fate to that of a hibiscus plucked from it's tree and left to wither away without what it needed to thrive.

Sun-woo's parents naturally grew anxious at the vague but foreboding prediction, though their worries faded over time as he grew to become a rather courteous and intelligent young child.

Such qualities combined caught the attention of a high ranking official, whom arranged for him to be recruited into the Hwarang where he particularly excelled in horsemanship and archery.

By the age of eighteen, Sun-Woo's beauty was so great that birds would forget to fly and fish swam to the surface of ponds just to catch a glimpse of his face. Unmarried young girls would swoon every time he passed by, as well as attempt to spy on him when he bathed.

Having so much adoration lavished upon him inevitably made Sun-Woo vain and insufferable, that is, until the day he finally caught a glimpse of somebody even more beautiful.

The Princess had flawless pale skin, perfectly arched eyebrows and fine hair that was adorned by jade accessories. All it took was one glance for him to fall in love and little did he know, she was equally moved by his presence.

* * *

The Princess gathered up the courage to sneak from her chambers one night and pay a visit to where Sun-Woo slept alongside the other Hwarang. She confessed her love and he did the same, before they surrendered to passion by sleeping together in the palace library.

They met in secret numerous times over the following months and it was perhaps inevitable that the King would learn of their affair sooner or later. He lead a team of guards to the library doors and flung them open with a dramatic flurry of both arms.

It took the Princess quite some time to break out of her blissful state and become aware of whom was watching. She gave a horrified gasp and attempted to shove Sun-Woo aside while he was still mounting her.

Sun-Woo was violently seized away by the guards within the hour as the Princess grovelled at the King's feet, begging for leniency and that her lover be allowed to live.

The King remained unaffected by his daughter's distress and callously ordered for Sun-Woo to be executed the next day.

The Princess gave a cry of anguish before she was escorted back to her chambers to be placed under an indefinite period of confinement.

* * *

Fortunately for Sun-Woo, his many admirers proved to be the difference between life and death. A few of his friends from the Hwarang managed to subdue the guards and free him from his cell, then with the help of two maids, concocted a daring escape plan.

Sun-Woo was unwilling to cooperate and insisted that death was preferable to living without the Princess.

"You fool. Think of how she will feel if you die."

"You're right..."

The two maids assisted him in dressing up as a woman and once they were satisfied, he followed his rescuers along a little known route out of the palace.

"There's a monastery to the north. We'll take you there so you have somewhere to hide..."

Three horses were untethered within the hour and Sun-Woo found great difficulty coming to terms with allowing someone else to take the reins while he sat passively behind.

They reached the promised sanctuary after a day of riding, at which point the time came for Sun-Woo to shed his disguise and meet the abbot. He and his friends were granted refuge for the night, before morning marked the necessity for him to make a fateful decision about the future.

Knowing that the alternative was life as a fugitive, Sun-Woo chose to convert completely to Buddhism and have his head shaved as the first step to becoming a monk. He was taught to discard his attachment to worldly desires and learned scripture through recital.

One meal a day combined with other aspects of his austere new life resulted in substantial weight loss. His beauty faded within a decade and the constant self-discipline numbed his mind to once painful memories of the Princess.

* * *

Forty years felt more like a century as the monastery became the center of Sun-Woo's world and reigns of two Kings ran their course. At the age of sixty, he was now the temple's abbot and had more than certainly outlived his old friends from the palace.

An armed entourage arrived one day with news of the Queen Dowager's eminent presence in the wake of her husband's death.

Sun-Woo along with all of the other monks prostrated themselves and expressed their reverence when she arrived, but what happened next left everyone in shock.

"Sun-Woo!" The Queen Dowager exclaimed in her dignified voice. "Stand up! Look me in the eyes!"


End file.
